raidenofffandomcom-20200213-history
Benedict I Therenane
Benedict I was the fourteenth monarch of Dorio. He was known for consolidating Therenane power and helping the empire globalize. Early life Benedict was born in 188 DR to Evan Therenane and Andrea Bervick, only a year before Evan's eventual competitor Garrett Belthion. This led to, interestingly, Benedict and Garrett growing up as friends. Although Evan was displeased with this friendship, he didn't make any attempt to prevent it, and so Benedict and Garrett maintained close correspondence even through the rising of tensions between their families. Benedict was briefly betrothed to a woman from the Hethmont family, although when Herbert II overturned the writ of Therenane heirdom, the Hethmonts retracted the offer. Enraged by this, Benedict would postpone his eventual marriage until the year 215. Belthion Succession War Since one general was his father and the other his childhood friend, Benedict found himself in an awkward position of neutrality during the Belthion Succession War. He capitalized on this to maintain an enclave in modern-day Leguna that would be a safe haven from the fighting; this helped to prevent the war from spilling over into the eastern part of the empire, and also provided a safe space for expatriates and refugees. Although the generals were frustrated by the Peace Line, those who actually took advantage of it were very grateful, and so Benedict garnered early support. During his father's reign, Benedict did not accomplish much, although he continued to mingle with the populace for public relations purposes. Reign Benedict came to power in 232; as Evan had been ailing for a while before his death, it was not unpredicted, and so Benedict was prepared to quickly be crowned and assume control of the empire. Early in his reign, Benedict made several overtures toward the Heplian church. Most notably, upon the death of Lord Reverend Talbot Genivalt in 237, Benedict granted the ecclesiastical leadership the right to appoint Genivalt's successor. Benedict also built strong relationships with the Saltsmoke Desert nations during his reign, owing to the earlier retraction of the Writ of Restriction. This helped assert the Dorian Empire as an increasingly global power, while Daravia remained isolated by its more northerly location, its various explorations notwithstanding. This had the unintended consequence of increasing strife between the two empires, and while war never broke out, a few skirmishes occurred between overzealous soldiers. Domestically, Benedict was interested in economics; having long-held ties to the Bervick trade family, he sought to establish protections for merchants and traders. One of the key points of this initiative was increasing the policing of Dorian roads, a measure designed to curb the presence of highwaymen. Benedict got very sick and nearly died in 264, leaving him in very poor health for what remained of his life. His son Evan took up the regency briefly, but Evan was assassinated in 265, leaving Benedict's grandson, Benedict II, as the heir. The elder Benedict would go on to die in 267. Personal life Although Benedict was briefly bethrothed to Charlotte Hethmont, the engagement was broken in 202 when Evan I lost his heirdom. Benedict, slighted, was turned against the idea of marriage, although in 212 he met Edith Newfort and began courting her. They were married in 215, and in 217 had their first child, a son named Evan. Benedict cared much for his children, and did his best to ensure that they all received good educations and employments. Category:Dorians Category:Therenane Family Category:Monarchs